Pulse comparator



July 26, 1960 A. l.. L|ND PULSE: COMPARATOR Filed may 2o, 1957 AEDE/V L. ///V BY n d,

TTOE E Wggm 06E/VT TME P- f zrfufrgur altenred Ju'l'yfas, 5195i) 2,946,961 l PULSE coMPARAToR Arden L. Lind, New Brighton, Minn., assignorto the United States of America as representedfbythe"Secretary of the Air Force Filed May 20, 1957, ser. No. 660,@32 Is-claims. (ctms- 146) The purpose of this invention is to providel anelectronic circuit which can be used for accurate matching of electrical pulse lengths or amplitudes in two pulse trains having the same pulse repetition rate. i,

'I'he circuit employs an electron tube of the,V type having means for producing an ,electron beam, a pairof anodes and a pair of beam deecting electrodes. The tube is designed so that the beam impinges equally on the two anodes when the potentialdilerence `between the deflecting electrodes is zero. When the deflection electrode potentials depart from equality, the. beam is deilected toward the more positive electrode with a correspending increase in beam current to one. anode `and an equal decrease in beam current to the other anode. Y

The pulse trains to be comparedV are each applied to one of the deecting electrodes. If the comparison is to be on the basis of pulse length or duration, the pulses in the two trains must have coincident leading `o`r trailing edges and must be clipped to the'same amplitude before application to the dellection electrodes. f If the pulses are of diierent durations, there will be a netv unbalance in current `flow to theeanodes which can be detected by a suitable sensing device. -If the. comparison is on the basis of pulse amplitude, the pulses in the two trains must have coincident leading -andptrailing edges. Any difference in amplitude then results in ia similar, net unbalance lin anode currents.v -Y y f The advantage of a circuit of this type -for.,a pulse comparison device is that the balance point depends only upon the electron beam trajectory Within the-tube. This trajectory depends upon .physical spacings Within the tube and not upon cathode emissionor element voltages, excepting the deflection electrodes, and therefore changes in these factors cannot aifect the accuracy of the comparator. f Eff' The invention Will be described in more detail in connection with the speci-tic embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a comparator of pulse length orduration,

Fig. 2 shows a modification of iFig. 1 designed to eliminate the effects of noise, H

Fig. 3 gives waveform occurring in thefcircuits of Figs. 1 and 2, v

Fig. 4 illustrates the circuit arrangementwhen Vthe comparison is on the basis of'amplitude, and

Fig 5 shows waveforms occurring `when' the' Icircuit operates on an amplitude comparison basis.

Referring to Fig. l, electron tube 1 contains a cathode 2, beam forming and intensity control electrodes 3, 4 and 5, beam deliecting electrodes 6 and 7, and anodes 8 and 9. The tube is suitably biased by cathode resistor 10 and the intensity of the beam may be controlled by potentiometer 1|1. Positive potential from direct current source 12 is applied to the anodes through anode resistors A13 a-nd\114. When electrodes 6 and 7 are at the same potential, the electron beam impinges equally on anodes 8 and 9, the currents through resistors 113 and 14 are equal and the voltages at points F and G are equal. If, for exampleelectrode 7 is mademore posi- Vtive thanelectrode6, the beam is dellected to the right `so that Vthe current flow to anode 9 and resistor 14 increases while thel current-.to anode 8 and in resistor 13 decreases. This results in the potential of point F rising and that of point G falling so that 1"`v is at a greater potential than G. `VDeflection of the beam to the left 'byvmaking electrode 6 positivein relation to electrode 7 has a similar but oppositeeiect. A'suitable commercial tube fof .this type is rthe General Electric type 6AR8.

The circuit of Fig. 1 is Iused to compare pulses on the basis of length or duration. As already stated, for comparison on thisbasiseither the leading or the trailing edges of the pulsesin the two trains must be coincident t and the pulse amplitudes must 'be equalized beforeapplication to the deflection electrodes. fOnc pulse train is applied to terminal A and the other to terminal C. v These l are shown in Fig. 3 with their leading edges coincident and with the pulses at C of greater duration under conditiony 1 and of less-duration under condition 2. Identical clipper circuits, comprising resistors 33 and 34, diodes 15 -and 16 and direct current source-17, equalize the ampli- Vtudes of the'pulses before application to the deilection electrode ata voltage value E2. The pulse amplitudes, vof course, must initially exceed this value. A predetermined equal reference voltage, in this case ground, is valso estab- -lished for the pulses applied to the deilecting electrodes by 'clampingpdiodes L8 and 19. The clipped and clamped pulse trains at points B and D are. shown in Fig. 3.

It is apparent from Il-iig.v 3, that runder condition 1, dur- `the interval between the trailing edge of the pulse yat Bv and the trailing edgeofthe pulse at D, electrode 7 is positiverelative to electrode 6and more of thebeam .impingeson anode 9 than on anode x8. This results in a positive pulse at F and a negative pulse -at G as shown in `Fig.3,'e1 being the quiescent voltage at F and G. Under vice20 connected between points F and G andY integratl ing over a p eriod'greater than the pulse repetition period will vindicate iF positive` relative to G undervcondition 1 and G4 positive relative to iF 'under condition 2.

The sensing device 20 in itssimplest form may beia.

center-zero voltmeter or galvanometer. Any. departure from equalityofjthe pulse lengths in the two pulse'trains being compared will cause a deilection of the needle from vits vcenter position, the rdirection, of the deflection identifying the-train having the longer pulses. In more complex forms the sensing device may be a polarized relay or `polarity vsensitive electronic circuit serving yto control a .servo system operating to adjust the-length ofthe pulses in vone train for automatically maintaining the pulse length'equality. q

'In the circuit ofFig. 1, the presence of noise voltages in thesignalsapplied to terminals A .and C may cause spurious deections of the electron beam in tube 1 and erratic andinaccurate operation of the sensing device 20. Fig.l2 4shows-a modiiication of Figfl designed to eliminate the r effets of noise; iln this arrangement diodes -21 and"'22 are biased by identical potential dividers 23--24 and 2S-#2 6 s o that, inthe quiescent s tateof. theffcircuit (the electron beam impinging equally on anodes 8 and y9), the anode potentials of the diodes are below the cathode potentials by an amount at least equal to the maximum deviation of points F and G from their quiescent voltage (e1) that is likely to occur as a result of noise potentials on the deflecting electrodes. The diodes therefore eiectively prevent noise potentials -at points F and G from being transmitted to points I and K. The amplitude of the compared pulses, however, is great enough to over- 3 l come the diode bias and produce signals at points I or K depending upon which of the pulse trains has the pulses of greater duration. The waveforms at these points under condition 1 and condition 2 are shown in Fig. 3, e2 being the quescent voltage at,points J and K established by the potential dividers 23-24 and 252.

Diode 27 and lR-'C circuit 28- 29 permit point L to assume a lower average potential than point M under Jcondition 2 (Fig. 3). This result is accomplished *because, during the negative pulse at I, .condenser 25B rapidly discharges through the low impedance of diode 27 dropping the potential at L to that of J. At the end of the negative pulse at I, the potential at J immediately rises to the quiescent value e2 but the potential of Lnnot follow because of the slow charging rate Vthrough resistor 28, and the small increment in charge that ,does occur between negative pulses islost by discharge through the diode during the next negative pulse. Therefore, unler condition 2, Apoint L assumes a potential lower than the quiescent potential Ve2 at J, as shown in Fig. 3. Since point M under these circumstances has a constant potential equal to the quescent potential e2 at point K, a ypotential diierence exists across sensing device V with terminal .M positive. Diode 30 and R-C circuit 31-32 operate in the same manner to establish terminal -M at a lower potential than terminal `L under condition 1. The waye- .forms are simply those for L in Fig. 3 interchanged. AThe sensing device 20 should have an impedance vsufciently high to prevent Yany appreciable transfer of charge between condensers29 and 32Y during the intervals between pulses.

Fig. 4 shows the modiiication of V'Fig l, or Fig. 1

--modied by Fig. 2, requiredto comparepulses on4 anamplitude basis. As already stated, thiskbasis for comparison requires that ,the leading land trailing edges of the pulses in the two trains be coincident. As seen in VP ig.

4, the clipping circuits are omitted, the p-ulsevtrainsV tobe compared being applied directly to the deilectingelectrodes through terminals B and-D. The clamping diodes 18 and 19 are retained to establish avcommon reference potential, in this case ground, for the two wavextrains. The operation of the circuit in other respectsis similar to the operation for comparison on a pulse durationbasis,

except that the pulse durations at points F, G, l'andK are constantunder all conditions and equal to the dura- Vvtions of the pulses being compared rather than to the prising: an electron tube having a `pair of anodes, means including la cathodefor producing a constantvcurrent beam of electrons, normally impinging equally'on the two anodes, and a pair of ,deflecting electrodes cooperating with said beams and acting in the presenceof a potential` difference therebetween to deflect said beam relative to `said anodes so asto inversely vary the'electronl ilowgto said anodes; a source of direct, current havfngvits negative terminal connected to said cathode and'its positive yterminal `connected ,to each ofsaid anodes through sep- .365

,arate anodeimpedances; means for applying 'one ofsid ileting electrodes and said point of ,reference potential; and means for sensing a potential diierence betweensaid anodes.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which means are provided to clamp the potentials of said deilecting electrodes to said reference potential.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which means are provided for rendering said potential sensing means insensitive to potential diierenc'es below a predetermined value.

4. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 1 in which means vare provided a clamlp' potentials of said deflectin'gelectrodes to said reference potentiaLandin which means are provided xfor equalizing Ithe amplitudes 4o f the pulses applied to said dellecting electrodes.

5. Apparatus `for comparing the electrical pulses of one pulse train with the electrical pulses of another synchronized pulse train of the same repetition rate, comprisin-g: an electron tube having a pair of anodes, means including ancathode for producing a' constantcurrent 'beam of electrons normally impinfging equally on the 'two anodes, Yand a pair of deil'e'cting electrodes cooperating with said Abeams and acting in the presence of a potential diterence therebetween to Ideilect said beam relative to lsaid anodes soas to inversely vary the electron ow to said anodes; a source "of direct current having its nega- .tive .terminalconn'ected to said cathode and vits positive terminal.connected'through a pair of anode impedances -to said anodes; 'means-"forapply'ing one of said pulse .trains .between oneof said deecting electrodes a'nd a -point ofreference potential; means for applying fthe other .oflsaid .pulse trains between .the other of s'aid deecting electrodesand .said point of .reference potential; a two- .'.tei'minalptential amplitude and polarity sensingdevice;

' .rst and ksecond diodes .havingltheir cathodes each connected .to one of the .two .anodes of s'aid' electron tube; means .biasing the anodes of said diodes negatively relative .tothe quiescentpotentials' of said electron tube anodes; .-a..third diode having its cathode connected to the anode of'said tirst diode and its anode connected to -oneftermnalof saidsensing device; a fourth 'cliodehavfing'its cathode connected tothe lanode of said second diode. and its .anode .connected tothe other 'terminal of .said sensing device; equal resistors connected in shunt to 4said Vthird yand fourth diodes; equal capacitorsconnected between the anodes of saidthird and fourth .diodes and said point of-referencepotentiahad means frclamping thepctentfials of said deectirig electrodes to .said reference-potential. i

Apparatusas clamedinclaim 5 in which ,means are providedffor equaliz'ing the amplitudes of the pulses `applied to Wsaid deilecting'electrodes'.

`References Cited in the le of this patent ,uNrrEp sTA'rEs vPATENTS 2,024,979 Metcalf Dee 1.7, 1 9435 12,0%;01-2 :Soller ,Oct. 19,1937 2,358,901 ,Ziebolzn --.Sept 26, 1944 2,500,807 Jager et al. Mar..`l4,.\1950 21,565,535 .-Tylulsky Aug. 2 8, 1951 2,685,647 Pages et al. Aug. 3,1954 42,727,143 ,{Slutz .j. ,Dec. 1 3, 1955 2,737,584 H-ughesetal. Mar. 6, 1956 l.2,829,392 fTatham Apr. 1, .1958

, FQRErGN ,PATENTS -158;-,232 Australia Aug. 13, 1954 

